“So, the reason why His Grace was overdoing it this time is because the number of demons has suddenly increased?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

A knight nodded. It was a knight who participated in the demon subjugation with Kael.

“It was normal until the third day upon arriving, but from that night, the number of demons suddenly increased and became more violent.”

Kael’s thirst lasted until the next day. It was due to Kael’s forced and risky subjugation.

Thanks to that, Daphne had to hold Kael’s hand until the next day.

‘From the third night, the demons suddenly ran amok.’

There was a prick. Doesn’t it overlap with the time she entered the room?

“But fortunately, the swords that Miss Adne strengthened this time worked well against the demons.”

Daphne’s face looked serious, so the knight quickly added.

“The armor was stronger, blocking even the demons’ claws! So this time, for the first time during the red moon, there were no deaths.”

That was a pleasant thing to hear.

It was worth visiting Adne constantly and urging her.

‘In return, I received a lot of Adne’s resentment.’

Groan, Daphne thought of Adne’s eyes, which were still full of tears, and silently averted her gaze.

Still, she brought her a lot of expensive materials.

In return, her bank account was also robbed.

‘But I still have enough money.’

The hot spring business was doing better than she expected.

A hot spring with medicinal herbs in it, a fragrant hot spring using dried flowers.

From the beginning, the interior was tailored to the finest tastes of the aristocracy and the gentry class.

‘Especially for old nobles, money is not a problem as long as they like it.’

They did say that the hot spring with the finest dried herbs is the best.

She heard that hot springs with fragrant flowers are popular among young aristocrats.

‘It has already become a major craze in the capital.’

Daphne smiled with satisfaction.

‘The word-of-mouth strategy was a success.’

On the day Count Hins was robbed and returned home, the nobles who came with him seemed to have spoken well.

Mixing up Count Hins’s disgrace.

With interesting stories, the hot spring rumor spread far and wide and quickly reached the capital.

Thanks to that, as soon as it opened on the first day of the hot spring, half a year’s worth of reservations was filled in an instant.

She could hear the sound of money piling up in her ears.

However, this was not the end.

‘There are still two important businesses left.’

“The Grand Duchess is truly incredible.”

The eyes of the knight looking at Daphne shone.

Daphne, who was smiling insidiously at the thought of future money, flinched.

“Me?”

The knight nodded enthusiastically.

“You… recognized the ability of a strange person right away, and even caught a con artist. How much the reputation of the Bertrand Grand Duchy had risen thanks to that.”

The effect of catching a con artist was showing to the extent that even the knights who did not leave Bertrand’s territory knew about it.

“On top of that, you also quenched His Grace’s thirst.”

The young knight’s eyes were shining.

“This is all the power of love, right?”

…What? Love?

Daphne almost spat out the tea she had in her mouth at the words she had no immunity to.

Fortunately, she was able to avoid the disaster by biting her lip tightly.

“How nice it was to see you two holding hands tightly this time.”

Ah. That’s what those eyes meant.

Daphne remembered the countless glances she had seen every time she walked around the castle for the past two days.

Everywhere she went, everyone’s lips twitched and their cheekbones popped up.

There was something they wanted to say, but they were barely holding back.

‘I thought it meant that it was good that Kael didn’t run wild.’

It wasn’t. Everyone was completely mistaken.

‘Actually.’

Daphne took a sip of tea and narrowly understood.

Kael, who was originally supposed to be raging with thirst, was spaced out and followed her around, holding only her hand.

‘It must have looked cute.’

“I’ve heard of it.”

There was one more reason why the people of Bertrand misunderstood.

Daphne listened to the knight’s words.

“It’s a small number, but among all the former grand dukes of Bertrand, those who married their true love are said to have the curse subsided a lot.”

It was the first time she had heard about it.

The reading of truth and lies was unnecessary.

‘Lies.’

If there was such a setting, there was no way that it would not have been mentioned in the original.

And don’t you think you can get an answer just by looking at your superiors, Miss Ritena and Mister Zegman?

‘But, if you think so, I am at ease.’

Judging that it was time to end the conversation, Daphne blushed and smiled brightly.

“It’s nice, but it’s also a little embarrassing.”

Daphne said while fiddling with her hair.

The knight nodded as if he realized that he had talked too much.

“I wanted to tell you that I’m grateful and that you’re amazing, but I’ve been talking for too long.”

“No. I was wondering why His Grace was having such a hard time this time.”

“No. And the demon hides you mentioned has been loaded onto a cart.”

The knight went off lightly after adding to call him if she had any more questions.

“As expected, the problem was that room.”

Daphne rubbed her chin and frowned, her eyes narrowing. The main culprit was that room.

Last night, after Kael’s thirst had been completely quenched, Daphne once again sought the secret passage.

She brought Mariel with her this time in case she couldn’t get out again.

Mariel, accustomed to Daphne’s eccentricities, was only briefly surprised when Daphne disappeared, but then acted calmly after that.

‘And I succeeded in transcribing the characters in the room.’

As soon as she came out, the door disappeared. It literally completely vanished.

The faint gap disappeared, and even though Mariel tried to force it, it did not open again.

‘What’s going on here?’

Daphne shook her head and finished writing the letter.

It was a letter to Count Coman asking for the interpretation of the paper she transcribed along with a donation to a high-ranking priest instead of herself.

‘Though when I think about my future relationship, I want to go there myself later.’

It was necessary to connect with the temple later. So she wanted to move on her own.

‘You’re not completely free from the eyes of the emperor yet.’

Edia was currently living separately in a detached building.

Edia, freed from maid work, does only one thing.

It was to adapt the information given by Daphne by mixing truth and falsehood and send false reports.

At first, she felt reluctant, but there was no way back for Edia.

Her family had already formed a relationship with the Bertrand Grand Duchy, and hadn’t she betrayed her best friend as well?

So now she was very diligently covering the emperor’s eyes.

Thanks to that, Daphne was free in Bertrand.

But it was still a little hard outside.

‘In addition, the temple has a history of colluding with the aristocracy in the past to oppose the emperor, so I am wary of visiting.’

This was why the temple collapsed completely.

A close walk on the tightrope that failed.

In the past, when the emperor weakened and the aristocracy gained power, the temple ruled in favor of the aristocracy.

And then it failed.

Since then, it has been living a life that only continued in existence with donations from believers.

‘But the Grand Duke of Bertrand is the emperor’s number one check.’

If an anti-imperial faction were to arise, there was only one person who would lead it.

The Grand Duke of Bertrand, it was Kael.

Therefore, if Daphne, who is now the Grand Duchess of Bertrand, visited the temple, there could be many misunderstandings at once.

‘I can’t help it. Let’s borrow the power of Count Coman this time.’

Coincidentally, Count Coman’s wife was one of the faithful believers.

Therefore, it was nothing strange that Count Coman gave a donation.

When Daphne rang the bell, Mariel entered the room.

“Milady, did you call me?”

“Send this to Count Coman.”

Mariel, who politely accepted the letter disguised as a greeting letter, left the room.

‘Good, I’m done with one.’

Daphne fell face flat on the table and stretched out her arms.

When she glanced out the window, the cart was full of the demon skins Daphne asked for.

‘Shall we make some money again now?’

Daphne grinned.

“Grand Duchess!”

Upon arriving at Leon’s family, the first to greet Daphne was the eldest daughter, Carol.

“Carol, long time no see.”

“Come inside! Everyone is waiting.”

“Woof woof!!”

Daphne entered the workroom with an enthusiastic welcome from Eddie.

Various tools were hung on the wall in the workroom, which was attached like an annex to the house.

Old tools that are stained at a glance.

Although the four siblings were young, it was a measure of their skills.

“Sir Leon.”

With a grunt at Daphne’s words, Leon brought the cart full of demon skins and unfolded them.

Then Mariel came with a wooden box.

It was also the fur of the demon requested from Kael.

It was the fur of a sheep-like demon, so it looked fluffy even at a glance.

There was no shortage of thread to make the fabric.

The eyes of the four people who flocked to the work table shone in various colors.

“Wow, this is the fur and skin of a demon?”

“No way.”

Lexi quickly grabbed the fur and wrapped it around her. And as she spun around as if to see, the group of light spread beautifully.

Carol showed an interest in the fur. Daphne said to Carol, who was fiddling with the fluffy fur.

“Isn’t it beautiful? If you make a cloth with this fur, it will shine like the night sky. It’s like using magic.”

“Like magic…”

Carol murmured, bewitched.

“And if you use these tools, there will be no problem sewing.”

The eyes of the four shone even more as they brought the new tool that Adne’s hands touched.

“You didn’t react like this when I brought it to you last time because you were curious.”

Leon shouted as if it was unfair.

“That’s right, I couldn’t use the leather Brother brought.”

Hearing Louis’s reply, Leon’s shoulders drooped.

“If the processing method develops further in the future, you will be able to use the leather that Leon brought you.”

Daphne smiled and went on.

“I’m holding a ball at the Castle of Shadows this time.”

“A ball?”

Carol, who was touching the white fur with ecstatic eyes, was surprised.

“Milady. Although we are not nobles, we know that a ball will be held for the first time in a long time in the Shadow Castle.”

“A-And such a ball is very! Very! Important!”

“Don’t tell me that our clothes at such a place…”

“Are you going to reveal it?”

Daphne grinned at Lexie’s words.

“The upcoming ball will be attended by not only the neighboring nobility but also the central aristocracy.”

Gulp.

At Daphne’s words, the faces of four people, or five now, turned pale.

Leon whispered quietly to Daphne.

“Milady, wouldn’t it be better to assemble your clothes in the capital at such an important occasion?”

Going up to the capital and going to a famous dress shop and wearing clothes that are made according to the fashion.

That would be the most common and safest way.

But Daphne knew the future.

“No, I will not.”

Daphne looked the four in the eye and said.

Daphne’s golden eyes sparkled with trust.

“I believe that the clothes you will make are perfect.”

“Milady…”

Carol was moved to tears. Soon the children nodded.

“We! Will work hard to make the best dress!”

“That’s right. The lady believes in us, so if we don’t believe in ourselves, it won’t work.”

Good, good. This vigor.

Carol took a tape measure from one drawer and approached Daphne.

“Milady, I’d like to take your measurements again, so could you take off your coat?”

Daphne shook her head.

“No. What I want to ask for is the Grand Duke’s clothes.”